Lifting mechanism for aerial vessels



Dec. 19, 1922.

0. N- LANNING.

LIFT'ING MECHANISM FOR AERIAL VESSELS.

FILED JULYZS, 192l- 2SHEE TSSHEET 1,

- Wives;-

all .of the figures, 1 and 2 comprise a pair- Patented Decf19, 1922.

UNITED STATES PA-TENT orries.

cann N; -LAriiinne, or .Lmiune MECHANISM Appllcaflea flled July 25,

To an iuhom it may concern I Be it known that; I, OREN'N. LA'NNING, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Barnard, in the county of Nodaway and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lifting Mechanism for Aerial Vessels, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates toaeroplanes of the helicopter type and my object is to pro-,

expensive construction and in order that it may be fullyunderstood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the machine Figure 2'is a top plan View of the same. Figure 3 is a section on the line- III--III of Figure 1. e

-In the said drawings, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in of substantially rectangular frames placed in superposed relation, each being provided with a pair of diagonal brace members 3. The corners of each of the frames 1 and 2 are "formed with bearings 4 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Suspended from the braces 3 of the lower a frame member 2, by means of four posts 5', is an engine and passenger sustaining platform. 6, cutaway along its side margins as at 7 to offer less wind resistance when the machine is vertically ascending or descending, and it is also formed with a series of openings 8 for the s'ame'purpose. The four corners of platform 6 are formed with beerings 9 which are vertically, below the hear- I ings 4 above described and journaled in said bearings 4 and 9 are two pairs of vertical shafts 1'0 and 11, said shafts being provided" along their length between framesl and 2, with series of oppositely-promoting propeller blades 12, increasing in length from the lower cone to the upper cone as will be clearly apparent by reference to Figu .This construction of the series of blades is BARNARDQ MISSOURI.

ron AERIAL vEssnLs- 1921, Serial No. 487,24 5.

adopted in order that each blade shall in succession cut into an undisturbed column of air and will thus exert a greater lifting force than could otherwise be obtained.

Mounted on platform 6 are a pair of engines I), of any suitable character, provided with shafts 13 equipped at-their ends with gear wheels 14 meshing with gear wheels 15 mounted on and near the lower ends of shafts 10. It will thus be apparent that power applied to said gear wheels 14 will rotate the vertical shafts l0.'

In order to transmit power from said shafts 10 to shafts 11, the former are provided at any suitable points, but preferably a slight distancedielow frame 2, with gear wheels 16 which mesh with gear wheels 1';

keyed on the ends'of diagonal shafts 18, one I shaft being located slightly above the other.

Shafts l8 are journaled near their opposite ends in the posts 5 and are provided at their .ends opposite from gear wheels 17, with gear wheels 19, whichmesh with gear wheels 20 keyed to vertical shafts 11. It will be noted in this connection that the ,shafts 10 are di agonally opposite to the.

shafts 11', this construction being adopted in order to stabilize the machine should one of the engines cease to function during a flight.

Two pairs of semicircular partition members 21 are, fitted between frames 1 and 2 and around the blades 12,.it being noted that the edges of said partitions are cut at an angle in order to enclose the larger of said blades. 'These partitions are provided to form divisions between each series of propellers in order that the air currents set u be seen that this construction forms a central passage way. To protect the operator of the'machine from the downward current shall not conflict with each other, and it 'wi 1 i of air which will flow when the machine is i ascending, a cone-shaped deflector 22 is secured centrally. of the machine to the lower pair of diagonal braces 3, the shafts 18 passin diagonally through said cone. The d rlvers seat 23 will-be mounted on a tripod 24 secured to the platform 6 and directly below the cone above described, and the driver will thus be conveniently located to the en ines. I a

It Wlll be apparent that the speed of the engines maybe controlled so as to equalize the strain on the frame, and also that the 1 latform may be equipped with any suitable limding gear to absorb the shock incident to Ill) landing. In operation the speed of ascent or descent will be entirely under the control of the operator through regulation of the engine speed.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a machine of the character described which possesses all of the features of advantage pointed out as desirable and while I have described and claimed the preferred embodiment of the same, I reserve the right to make all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 1

I claim: I

1. A helicopter, comprising a pair of superposed spaced frames, a platform below said frames, a seat centrally-located on the platform, a vertical shaftjournaled' in each corner of the framework constituted by said frames and platform, means for. 'driving the shafts, propellers on the shafts between said frames, partitions between said frames and propellers, and a conical deflector between the seat and said frames to protect the driver from the blast of air set up by the propellers.

2. A helicopter, comprising a rectangular shaft-s, propellers on said shafts, partitions interposed between the propellers and curved concentrically ofthe respective shafts, the partitions for and between diagonally-opposite propellers being oppositely-bowed and respectively secured to the partitions for and between the other pair of diagonally-opposite propellers, and a motor for each pair of diagonally-opposite propellers.

3. A helicopter, comprising a pair of superposed rectangular frames, propeller shafts journaled in the corners of said frames, a plurality of propeller blades carried by said shafts and decreasing in length from the undermost to the uppermost, a platform suspended from the lowermost frame, a pair of engines" carried by said platform and each adapted for rotating a pair of shafts, and a partition interposed between the blades of the respective shafts.

In witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

OREN N. LANNING; 

